At the southern end of Banks Peninsula in Canterbury, Birdlings Flat is an awesome little beach to stop at and explore - though the sand is super soft. Pick a path along the beach and climb up into the hills on Bossu Road, where easy gravel gives way to sweeping views over the coast and peninsula. With plenty of other gravel roads in the stunning surrounding area, you can link Bossu Road onto other routes for a great day or two trip around the peninsula, looping back via sealed roads that connect through.

The road itself is gravel and not tricky, and the beach section has been graded. The main test is the first 250m or so of loose beach rock, where well-worn ruts can mislead you into thinking there's hard ground beneath - carry enough momentum to avoid bogging. Larger tyres walk through it easily, while smaller setups need wheel speed and power. AWD station wagons should avoid the beach due to ground clearance. The remainder is low effort with big-reward scenery.